


Intertwined

by kingstoken



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Multi, POV Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:47:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26570887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingstoken/pseuds/kingstoken
Summary: Leonard wondered how he had gotten here, with what was essentially a living furnace pressed up against his back, and a person who liked to cling, intertwined around his front.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Spock
Comments: 8
Kudos: 145





	Intertwined

Leonard wondered how he had gotten here, with what was essentially a living furnace pressed up against his back, and a person who liked to cling, intertwined around his front.

Leonard McCoy had been friends with James T. Kirk for years before Jim earned his captaincy, and when Kirk had begged him to come abroad the Enterprise, well, it was only for Jim that he would even consider going on a deep space mission in a floating tin can for five years. After McCoy had signed on their friendship blossomed, from the type of friendship where you met for drinks every few months and exchanged sub-space messages, to a deep abiding thing. Jim was his best friend, and it had gotten to the point that McCoy couldn't imagine his life without him in it. If he occasionally wondered if they could be something even more, he had pushed those thoughts aside. Until one fateful mission went wrong.

They had been on a strange planet and trapped in what was essentially a haunted castle. The powerful beings that lived there had been able to overcome McCoy's mental faculties, as well as Sulu's and Scotty's, and made them their living puppets. They were alright, because Kirk and Spock had saved them, but mentally exhausted, and required to spend the following 24 hours in sickbay under medical supervision. That night Kirk had visited him, McCoy had claimed one of the beds in the surgery, with the lights dimmed so he could sleep. Scotty and Sulu were in the next room under surveillance from one of his nurses, being CMO had some privileges. Jim looked at him with worry, clasping his hand. McCoy didn't say much, he knew Jim could sometimes get like this when he was sick or injured, but this time was different, after staring at him intently for a long time, Jim had leaned over and kissed him on the mouth. It was a tender, fleeting thing, that progressed to a series of nibbling kisses. Surprised was beyond what McCoy was feeling when Kirk pulled back.

“Jim ... what about Spock?”

“What about him?” McCoy was shocked. He knew that Kirk and Spock were in a romantic relationship, and had been for nearly a year now. Ever since the time of Spock's Pon Farr, and him nearly killing Kirk on Vulcan, their relationship had changed. No formal declarations were made, but that was probably because if Starfleet knew they would force Spock to transfer, and no one wanted that. So, it was kind of an open secret on the ship, Uhura knew that if she needed to hail Spock, when he was off duty, that she was better off trying the captain's quarters first before Spock's own. Seeing the look on Bones' face Kirk thought he better explain, and that is how McCoy learned that Kirk and Spock were in what one might call an open relationship. Kirk had a greater sexual appetite than Spock, and sometimes had emotional needs that Spock found difficult to fulfill, so Kirk was free to find them elsewhere. This explained a lot, but the whole concept was a little overwhelming for his worn out mind to process at the time, so Kirk left him to rest.

A few days later, after McCoy had been cleared for full duty, Kirk walked McCoy back to his quarters after his first full shift. They spoke of inconsequential things, Kirk never brought up what had happened in sickbay, so McCoy decided to write it off as a one time thing, brought on by stress and being overly emotional. That was until they walked into his quarters, and McCoy found himself pushed up against the nearest wall, while Kirk devoured his mouth. McCoy allowed himself to enjoy it for just a moment, before he grabbed Kirk shoulders and pushed him away.

“Jim, stop. We can't do this, because of Spock.”

“I explained that.”

“Jim, this isn't like a quick fling with a visiting ambassador's daughter, or the Queen of some far flung planet, or at least, I hope it's not.”

“Bones, of course it's not like that” he said squeezing his bicep “you're my best friend, I care about you deeply.”

“Then you must discuss it with Spock first.”

“But-”

“Jim, think, in the whole time you and Spock have had this agreement, have you ever had a relationship with any permanent member of the crew? Someone Spock would have to see and interact with for the next three years or more?”

“No” Kirk had to admit.

“Then you need to talk with him.”

“Tonight?”

“Tonight, tomorrow, next week, whenever, but there will be no more kissing or touching until I know that Spock is going to be alright with this. I won't be with you if I know it is going to hurt my friend.” Kirk smiled.

“You consider Spock your friend?” McCoy groaned.

“Yes, but if you tell him that I'll deny it.” So, Kirk left him, and McCoy hoped that he didn't regret taking the moral high ground, because it was going to be damn hard trying to forget the taste of Kirk's mouth.

McCoy awoke in the middle of the night to Kirk climbing into his bed. Jim quietly reassured him that he had a long discussion with Spock, and he was indeed okay with Kirk and McCoy having a physical relationship, so it began that night. From that point forward Jim would visit his quarters fairly regularly, and if Leonard felt the need he would invite the captain to have a nightcap. He would still visit the captain's quarters, but only to talk, McCoy never initiated anything there, even if Spock was away, because that was their home, and he respected those boundaries.

The first couple of weeks McCoy was awkward around Spock. Spock never discussed the situation with him, but McCoy knew that Spock was aware, because occasionally Kirk would reach for McCoy's hand, or squeeze his shoulder for a little longer than was appropriate, but Spock barely batted an eye at these actions. Soon things were back to normal between them, and they were arguing about everything and nothing again, McCoy loved to argue with Spock.

To an outside observer it would have seemed like very little had changed between the three of them. They found a balance and maintained it successfully for several months. In fact, it may have continued on indefinitely, if they hadn't met an empath named Gem and her captors, the Vians.

During the encounter McCoy had been tortured and came very close to death, and even though the Vians had healed him of the worst of his injuries he still felt like every part of his body had been used as a punching bag, probably because it had been. After a few days in sickbay Doctor M'Benga had agreed that McCoy could continue his convalescence in his quarters as long as he stayed in bed and took a portable medical monitor with him. Kirk and Spock walked with him, but half way to his room he had to stop and lean against the wall, completely exhausted. Before he could regain his strength, he felt himself being lifted by a pair of strong arms and carried bridal style.

“Hey, put me down, you pointy eared Vulcan.” It wasn't his best comeback, but he was too sore and tired to think of anything better, and Spock ignored him anyways, carrying him the remainder of the way, and depositing him on his bed. McCoy had grumbled a thank you, before turning onto his side and burying his head into the pillow, hoping that sleep would take it all away. He felt Kirk climb into bed with him, this didn't surprise him too much, Kirk had been hovering in sickbay for the past few days, and now that they were alone he needed to touch him, as if to reassure himself that Bones wasn't going anywhere. What did surprise McCoy was when he felt the mattress dip behind him and he felt Spock's arm wrap around his middle. Part of him felt like he should protest, but he lacked the energy to do so, plus he figured they had all been through the ringer, so they needed all the comfort they could get.

What McCoy thought was a one time occurrence turned into a nightly event, after his shift Kirk would climb into McCoy's bed, usually with Spock following a few hours later. In the beginning he was too weak to question it, and later he found he didn't want to. It had been years since he shared a bed with someone, and even though Jim softly snored and Spock was way too hot for his own good, he found he liked them there, they kept the loneliness at bay. McCoy was also sure that this was a temporary thing, they were worried about him, and things would go back to the way they had been once he was fully recovered.

Two weeks later the day McCoy longed for and dreaded came to pass, he was declared medically fit and cleared for duty. McCoy had been going a little stir crazy in his quarters during the day, but man, he was going to miss the nights. Part of him thought that he should ask them to stay, but that reeked of desperation to him, and one of McCoy's abiding sins might be pride.

That night he waited for awhile, but finally went to bed hoping that sleep would help him forget. He had finally dosed off when he heard a noise over by the doorway, the door swished open, and two figures stepped through.

“Bones” said Kirk, coming over to the bed “Bones, why was your door locked?”

“Yes, Doctor, why? I had to use my override code so we could enter” said Spock. 

“Um, well, I thought ...”

“You thought wrong” said Kirk as he gently held McCoy's face and kissed him. McCoy felt Spock's hand sneak around his waist and then slip under his t-shirt. The two of them proceeded to thoroughly take Leonard apart with their hands and lips. Leonard slipped into oblivion with his head thrown back on Spock's shoulder and Jim's mouth around him.

Two nights later Kirk took McCoy's hand and lead him down to his room, ostensibly because the captain's quarters were more spacious and had a larger bed. The three of them never discussed it in words, and over time more and more of McCoy's things found themselves in Kirk's cabin. At first it was small things like a toothbrush and then a change of scrubs if he got called to sickbay in the middle of the night, but the volume increased until today, when he brought over his most precious possession, a picture of his daughter Joanna when she had been seven years old, and it was this decision that had him wide awake and thinking in the middle of the night. 

“You're still awake” Kirk said, his voice muffled by sleep “is something wrong?”

“No, I'm just thinking.”

“About?”

“How I ended up here, with you two.”

“Are you having second thoughts?” Kirk asked, worry creasing his brow.

“If you are reconsidering this relationship perhaps we should discuss it” Spock said over his shoulder, he hadn't even realized that Spock was awake.

“No, no, it's nothing like that. I guess, I'm just realizing how lucky I am.”

“Luck had nothing to do with it, our coming together was very logical.” McCoy snorted in response.

“No Spock's right” said Kirk “us being together makes complete logical sense, because we love you.” That was the first time Jim had used that term.

“Love? From both of you?”

“Yes” said Jim, giving him a quick kiss, while Spock intertwined their fingers together. “Now get some sleep, we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” 

'Yes, sir” his lips twitching into a smile, and he was finally able to let himself relax into his lovers' embrace.

**Author's Note:**

> I played around with the timeline a little here. At the end of "The Empath" Bones is seen back on ship in fine shape, but I just didn't think that was at all realistic given what happened to him, so I reworked it a bit for this story.


End file.
